Shia student thrashed by classmates and jailed over sectarian disagreement

A Shia student was beaten by his classmates, before being handed over to police after a disagreement centred on the Caliphs Umar and Ali. The incident took place on Monday, at Islamabad Model College for Boys F-11/3. According to initial reports on social media the disagreement occurred after a second year Sunni lecturer stated in class his belief that the Caliph Umar was the superior to the Caliph Ali and his family. When Shia student, Qalb-e-Abbas objected to that his classmates gathered around and started thrashing him. Police was called to the college, and Qalb-e-Abbas was handed over to them by the college’s principal and staff. The police registered an FIR and Qalb-e-Abbas is in detention.  As per the pictures of the FIR circulating on social media, the police have registered an FIR against Qalb-e-Abbas under sections 295A and 298A. Section 295A and 298A, of the Pakistan Penal Code, are part of the blasphemy laws of the country.  There are also reports that Abdur Rehman Muawiya, a Deobandi cleric affiliated with the defunct Sipah-e-Sahba, which has now been renamed to Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamat, abruptly descended upon the police station later and tried to further inflame the situation and cause a ruckus.